Advertising Words of Wisdom
David Ogilvy, one of the founding fathers of the modern advertising field, became famous for his many statements about advertising, including his most well-known quote, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.” Many of his sayings contain wisdom about the business world in general. Here is a brief sampler:
- The consumer isn’t a moron. She is your wife.
- In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.
- I never tell one client that I cannot attend his sales convention because I have a previous engagement with another client. Successful polygamy depends upon pretending to each spouse that she is the only pebble on your beach.
- If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out – either by the government, which will prosecute you, or by the consumer, who will punish you by not buying your product a second time.
- It is important to admit your mistakes, and to do so before you are charged with them. Many clients are surrounded by buckpassers who make a fine art of blaming the agency for their own failures. I seize the earliest opportunity to assume the blame.
- I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.
- If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarves. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.
Sick Buildings: Bad for Business
According to Today’s Facility Manager magazine, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) costs U.S. businesses between $12 billion and $125 billion annually, and one in five office workers experiences decreased productivity based on discomfort or adverse health effects due to IAQ problems.
In 1994, OSHA determined the average excess risk for office workers of developing severe headaches attributed to poor IAQ to be 5.7 percent; the average excess risk of developing severe respiratory symptoms was estimated at 8.5 percent. If an office worker who earns $30,000 a year loses only 20 minutes (4 percent) a day because of headaches, respiratory problems or other irritations caused by poor IAQ, this will cost the organization $1,250 annually in lost work hours.
All types of office equipment may contribute to poor IAQ in the workplace, with the most common culprits being the chemicals used in copiers and printers. Other factors may be janitorial products and cleaning processes, the use of pesticides, and even food preparation in the lunchroom. Smoking, laboratory work, idling trucks left at loading docks and other activities performed without proper ventilation may compromise employees’ health and carry a hefty price tag.
Tortillas: Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
The Tortilla Industry Association announced this summer that tortillas have captured 32 percent of the U.S. bread market, trailing white bread by only 2 percentage points and far outpacing whole wheat bread, bagels and rolls. Wholesale sales volume for the popular food product reached $5.2 billion in 2002. The rapid growth of the tortilla industry is attributed not only to the growing Hispanic population in the U.S., but also to increasing tortilla consumption among non-Hispanics as well. Mexican food has become so mainstream that salsa now surpasses ketchup in sales and the margarita is the number one cocktail in the country.
It’s Not Just Bean-Counting
Accountants Need More Than Numbers Know-How
Accounting graduates entering today’s job market should be prepared to highlight their technical expertise as well as their gift for numbers. Chief financial officers (CFOs) surveyed recently said that in addition to accounting skills, they look for professionals who have information technology proficiency and business acumen. The survey was developed by Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a recruitment firm specializing in the placement of accounting and finance professionals, and included responses from 1,400 CFOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with more than 20 employees.
CFOs were asked,
“Other than traditional accounting knowledge, which one of the following skills is most in demand for accounting and finance professionals today?”
Information technology
|
34%
|
General business knowledge
|
23%
|
Communication skills |
17% |
Customer service orientation |
11% |
Leadership abilities |
9% |
Other |
1% |
Don’t know/no answer |
5%
|
Total |
100% |
“To improve efficiencies, organizations are automating many of their accounting functions or upgrading their financial information systems,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International Inc. “As a result, recent accounting graduates with a demonstrated aptitude for technology-related projects are at an advantage in a competitive market.” Messmer pointed out that business expertise remains critical: “Increasingly, accounting professionals provide guidance on the financial impact of decisions ranging from information technology investments to corporate governance issues. This requires an understanding of broader business concerns as well as traditional finance and accounting skills.”